1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Internet transactions and, more particularly, to virtual shopping carts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Retail sales over the Internet have continued to grow significantly over the last several years. One mechanism commonly implemented to facilitate such retail sales is a virtual shopping cart. A virtual shopping cart tracks items selected by a consumer for on-line purchase while allowing the consumer to continue shopping for additional items. When the consumer is done shopping, the consumer is presented with a list of the selected items contained in the virtual shopping cart and given an opportunity to purchase such items in a single transaction.
Oftentimes, the consumer may be interested in a particular item, but not ready to purchase the item without having the opportunity to personally inspect it. Thus, the consumer may forego purchasing the item on-line, instead opting to shop at a conventional retail store. Unfortunately, the consumer may sometimes find that the item in which she is interested is not in stock. In consequence, much time may be wasted traveling to and from a retail store without being able to make a desired purchase.